


True Nature

by Linorien



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Halloween, sp00qy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-17 02:31:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12355632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linorien/pseuds/Linorien
Summary: Prompt: Main character prefers to keep their real nature hidden because they are magical/not human, and finds Halloween to be fun because they can be themselves without anyone realizing it





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another story written entirely in one class period.  
> Thanks to womble for giving this a proofread.

 [](https://imgur.com/QfMxbCb)

MI6 was a place of secrets. They kept secrets about espionage activities. They kept secrets about surveillance on world leaders. But they also kept more personal secrets. And even though Queen and Country came first, sometimes there was a deeper, more sacred secret. 

Although this secret was a personal one, letting it out could have consequences beyond any country border. It threatened an alliance far older than the United Kingdom. 

There were very few times of year when they could relax.

***

M walked into the office early on October 31st. Tanner greeted him normally, then looked again. His usual neat hair was disturbed by two fairly sizeable antlers. Tanner’s eyes continued down his body, taking in the small tail and the cloven hooves instead of shoes. 

“I didn’t know you planned on dressing up,” Tanner said.

M turned around. “Halloween is my favourite holiday,” he said enigmatically before ducking his head as usual and walking into his office.

Tanner turned to look at Eve.

“You took time off last year during this week,” she said. Her mottled wings moved gently she sat on her purple yoga ball.

“Maybe I should’ve taken time off again,” Tanner said. “I forgot how much this building likes Halloween.” He retreated into the normalcy of his office.

***

But unfortunately, he could not hide forever. His laptop was performing slowly all day and it had finally beeped and shut down. Hitting the power button did nothing. He could only hope that Q could help him. 

It was tough to find Q though. His branch had gone all out with Halloween spirit. All around the main room were the results of their pumpkin carving contest, purple and black streamers adorning the ceiling, and drones swooping around decorated like dementors. The last one wasn’t completely successful. He also saw lots of people with crazy creative costumes, tons of moving parts and bits that lit up.

But when he was pointed to Q by a goth Iron Man, he only recognised Q by his voice. 

“You don’t celebrate?” Q asked casually of Tanner, as if he was not a skeleton. And not a man wearing a black suit with painted bones, but an honest to god, only bones, see through the rib cage, empty eye sockets, skeleton.

“No,” he replied without really thinking. How could he think straight?

Q turned and walked back to the main desk at the front of the room. “Is your computer misbehaving? There is a plague of them.” He gestured to a pile on the side of his desk. “It’s just a simple patch; I’ll make you top priority. You should have it back in less than an hour.”

Tanner set his laptop down and made a split second decision. “Take as long as you need. Please notify M that I’m taking the rest of the day off.”

And with that, he marched firmly from the building and went directly home. He sat down with a double whiskey and a biography of Lady Churchill. He was fine until the first trick-or-treating kids came to the door, dressed as a skeletons. He told his wife to take over and went promptly to bed. Note to self - leave the country next year for Halloween. A vacation in Jamaica sounded nice.


	2. Do You Even Need Glasses?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to write more.  
> And I believe I have SolarMorrigan to thank for this idea.

It had been four years since Tanner last worked on Halloween. The second year since there was an international crisis, but Eve made sure to send him home. “I’ll let you know if we need you. This should be over shortly.”

It was a lie of course, but just this once, Tanner ditched work. 

The only reason he was still here this year, is that they had just finished a long mission. He was down in Q branch sharing a beer with Q. Well, he was drinking while Q ate orange chicken with one hand and typed with the other. 

There was some quiet organ music playing in the background. It was peaceful, until a low bell rang out the midnight hour. It took Tanner until the sixth ring to realise that it was now Halloween. 

He glanced nervously at Q, but he still looked the same. As if he felt his stare, Q looked at him. 

“So, you are a skeleton,” Tanner said with forced casualness. “I wasn’t just...imaging it or anything?” 

Q wiggles his fingers, which were pure bone. When Tanner paled, the glamour faded back into place. “Yeah,” Q said. 

Even having seen it twice now, Tanner still had trouble believing it. How did he eat if he didn’t have organs? He didn’t have vocal chords so how does he talk? Why did Q choose that mess of hair? But the question he asked aloud was, “Do you even need glasses?”

Q stepped back from his laptop and laughed until it hurt to breathe. 


End file.
